Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of the House

The longest US presidential election in 164 years is now over. After four days and 15 votes, Republican Kevin McCarthy finally managed to muster the votes needed to regain the speakership.

Certainly a victory up front, McCarthy lost the 14th round of voting early Saturday morning Swedish time by the narrowest possible margin.

The meeting seemed about to be adjourned but after more rapid deliberation and heated debate in the room, the fifteenth round of voting commenced – during which he managed to gather the necessary votes.

The final vote count was written as 216 for McCarthy and 212 for Democratic candidate Hakeem Jeffries, while six MPs voted “present” which is the equivalent of a blank vote.

The reversal came after McCarthy agreed to several critics’ demands — including reinstating a long-standing rule that would allow an individual member to vote to remove the Speaker from office, the Associated Press writes.

Saddle party

The previous 14 polls showed a divided party in which supporters of former President Donald Trump hurled Republicans in front of a surprised, stunned, and somewhat amused audience.

A number of members of the Republican Party felt that McCarthy’s line was not conservative enough and wanted to see changes that transferred power from the speaker—to the individual members.

Republicans have held the majority in the House of Representatives, the lower house of the US Congress, since midterm elections in the fall. Thus, the Republican will replace Democrat Nancy Pelosi in the important position of Speaker of the House.